“That’s like the ultimate dream at the end of the day,” Anthony said. “Who wouldn’t want to go back home to play?”

But back home to Brooklyn and the Nets (with a layover in Newark), or to Manhattan with the Knicks?

“I don’t know, I mean I can’t really answer that question,” Anthony said when asked where he wants to play next year. “It’s tough for me to sit here and say, ‘Oh, I want to play in New York’ [or] ‘Oh, I want to play in New Jersey’ [or] ‘Oh, I want to stay here in Denver.'”

It seems the Nuggets, Nets and Pistons are closing in on a deal that at its core would send Anthony along with Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton to New Jersey; send Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow, some other players and a couple first-round picks to Denver; and give Detroit Troy Murphy and Johan Petro as well as some second-round picks. That’s just the framework of a mammoth deal. In total, as many as 16 players could move. And if the Nuggets can find a sucker someone to come in and take on the contract of Al Harrington, the deal could expand further.

The Knicks are not giving up on their ultimate dream of Anthony along side Amar’e Stoudemire. In the next couple weeks they are going to trade Anthony Randolph for a first round pick, according to Chris Broussard at ESPN. While the Knicks say they are going to do that to facilitate other moves regardless of what happens with Anthony, he remains the first option. And the second. And third.

Anthony has the ultimate hammer — if he ignores the pressure from everyone and decides he won’t sign an extension with the Nets, that house of cards falls and he will end up a Knick one way or another. If he wants to be the man for the soon-to-be other New York team, the blockbuster goes through.

Carmello and the Nuggets are paying high stakes poker. A lock out and a new CBA may mean Anthony gives up millions if he waits. The Nuggets may end up with nothing, or make a pressured deal at the deadline, if they wait and hold out. Knicks are being intelligent in standing at and waiting.

Kurt, I thought you made a great point about the extent to which his agent could be driving the deal. I think, though, that Carmelo really wants to be in NYC, and he’s experienced and savvy enough that if the people he’s talking to — A’mare and who knows who else within the organization — are telling him the Knicks want him, he’ll make it happen.